How to Ensure Your Wedding and Engagement Rings are Ethical and Eco-Friendly

How to Ensure Your Wedding and Engagement Rings are Ethical and Eco-Friendly

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I’m not excellent.  I’ve been recognized to fudge or compromise my values a bit in relation to issues like sun shades. But it was essential to me that no individuals, animals, or ecosystems have been harmed within the making of my engagement ring or marriage ceremony band.

Your marriage ceremony jewellery is a logo of your love, one thing that you’ll put on and have a look at for the remainder of your life. Your marriage ceremony and engagement rings, then, should embody your values, not simply aesthetically, however the sort of partner and individual you need to be. Obviously, mine was going to be made in a means that carried with it the vitality of affection and compassion, not only for my husband and household and pals, however to an expanded circle of look after the planet and all of the individuals on it.

I knew from the start what I wished. But fortunately for you, there are such a lot of manufacturers making moral and sustainable marriage ceremony bands that you’ve got dozens of kinds to select from, from conventional and sparkly, to natural and earthy, and artistic and trendy.

Here’s what to search for in your quest:

Metals: The overwhelming majority of mining is a dirty, destructive business that tears apart ecosystems and communities. So search for recycled steel or Fairmined, a label that certifies gold from accountable artisanal and small-scale mining organizations that helps social improvement and environmental safety. Extra factors if the steel was refined in one of many licensed sustainable steel refineries within the US.

Stones: Look for diamonds which can be lab-grown, recycled, or at a naked minimal Kimberley Process-certified together with some further language from the jeweler round sourcing ethically. (The Kimberley course of is definitely not full-proof, however we don’t have every other choices proper now past taking the phrase of the jeweler.) For different stones, search for recycled or licensed ethically sourced.

Labor: Seek out jewellery that’s made regionally within the US or Europe the place environmental and labor protections are excessive, or by documented pretty paid artisans in secure working situations elsewhere. Choosing regionally made jewellery additionally cuts down on transport emissions from flying the product internationally.

Or, simply select from considered one of these considerate corporations!

PS: We’ve also done a guide to more general fine jewelry options, including earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

This New York-based, third-generation jeweler works with lab-grown diamonds in addition to fair-mined, recycled, and re-refined metals to create assertion tremendous jewellery. With greater than 40 years of expertise on the earth of tremendous jewellery, Navi is particularly targeted on bespoke marriage ceremony rings, but in addition affords tremendous pendants, earrings and bracelets in traditional, timeless designs that can change into your favourite lifetime items.

Couple.co’s lab-grown diamonds are first licensed by the International Gemological Institute after which solely the perfect are personally chosen by their in-house gemologist. Couple makes use of trendy expertise to create lab-grown diamonds which can be atomically and chemically an identical to mined diamonds, but 35% bigger on a value foundation and meet the best of requirements (plus, they’re eco-friendly and 100% ethically sourced and produced). In order to be sure to have assist throughout each step of your buying expertise, you have got entry to a private Diamond Concierge with skilled information and 5-star customer support.

There was simply no query we might go to Melissa Joy Manning for our marriage ceremony jewellery. Melissa herself is a heat, sort, down-to-earth jeweler, and that heat extends to her workers as properly, who will information you thru the method of selecting simply the proper rings with out pressuring you or speaking right down to you.

And Melissa is arguably essentially the most sustainable jeweler in America. Everything is handmade in her studios in New York City or California. The Berkeley studio is green-certified, and the NYC studio, although not licensed, employs the identical strategies. The jewellery is made utilizing recycled treasured metals from a Green-Certified refiner, and packaged in recycled packaging. They additionally carbon offset all their transport.

Melissa makes use of a broad interpretation of “treasured” supplies: Leland Slag, a stony materials created in the course of the ore refining course of in Michigan auto crops; raspberry nickel, leftover from shuttered US zipper factories; upcycled stones; vintage tribal and reclaimed charms; fossils; and different stunning, attention-grabbing supplies. All the diamonds she sources are licensed by the Kimberley Process as conflict-free. Melissa normally buys from respected home corporations, however when she buys from overseas, she likes to purchase from the mine house owners themselves. Choose from considered one of MJM’s many new and distinctive designs, a vintage ring, or build your own rings, like we did!

With Taylor & Hart, you possibly can select between eco-friendly lab-grown diamonds and extra traditionally-mined diamonds which can be traceable and sourced ethically. If you’d want a mined one, you may get a CanadaMark diamond so that you could know the precise origin and historical past of it. You can even get truthful commerce or recycled steel to your ring when you ask (so be sure to do!). Taylor & Hart additionally has a beneficiant 90-day return coverage, free transport and resizing, together with a lifetime guarantee. Plus, they provide a complimentary, no-obligation session so you possibly can be sure to’re making the perfect choice for your self.

Great Heights was based by a staff of business veterans with over 100 years of mixed expertise. They know the business to its core and are infinitely outfitted to scrub it up. With their lab-grown diamonds, they’re placing high quality and ethics first, with out sacrificing minimize, shade, or high quality. If you need assistance deciding on what you need, their diamond information will aid you discover the proper ring for you, or you possibly can schedule a session to have considered one of their staff members aid you. Plus, they’ve free transport, 100-day returns, free resizing, and a lifetime guarantee.

Valerie Madison based her namesake tremendous jewellery model in 2014. The Seattle-based designer creates timeless, elegant kinds honoring her Environmental Science diploma by responsibly sourcing her supplies. Her collections are made with recycled gold, diamond alternate options like Moissanite, and when attainable Canadian-mined or recycled diamonds.

Started by a third-generation jeweler who was fairly conversant in the unethical woes of the diamond business, Clean Origin creates beautiful jewellery from lab-grown diamonds. Their diamonds are independently licensed for high quality, everybody on Clean Origin’s customer support staff has at the least 5 years of expertise within the jewellery commerce, they usually supply a Lifetime Manufacturing Warranty. Plus, they provide free transport, free resizing, and have a 100-day return coverage when you’re not glad. Learn extra about Clean Origin and lab-grown diamondshere.

Launched with the objective of being a number one moral tremendous jewellery firm, Bario Neal designs every bit in-house and works with native craftspeople in Philadelphia’s Jeweler’s Row, the oldest jewellery district within the U.S. The Philadelphia flagship doubles as each a manufacturing workshop and retail area, the place a various group of expert jewelers work subsequent to the gathering shows. You should buy a ready-made ring, or have one custom-made for you and your honey, with reclaimed treasured metals, Fairmined gold, and ethically sourced stones.

Made with solely lab-grown diamonds and recycled metals, MiaDonna’s rings embody all of the traditional, sparkly kinds. At a minimal, 5% of annual income are used to rebuild and restore the land and lives broken by the conflict-mining business, and most just lately, ebola;  and one tree is planted by the Nature Conservancy for every order to offset the carbon related to transport.

Founded in 2007, Ingle & Rhode ensures each ingredient of your marriage ceremony ring to be completely traceable and ethically produced. It sources pure gold and platinum from solely licensed Fairtrade or recycled sources.  The model’s diamonds and gems could be traced again to the mine of origin, and aren’t simply assured conflict-free. They come from moral suppliers that respect employees and mitigate their impression on the atmosphere.

Founded in 2014, Linjer​ designs sustainable tremendous jewellery​ ​with out the posh markup​.​ It just lately launched a 14k strong gold, Eco-Luxe assortment made with 100% recycled gold and assured conflict-free diamonds. Its packaging bins are made with recycled gray board, and the inserts and paper in its bins are from FSC-certified sources.

As for the remainder of your marriage ceremony day jewellery, why purchase one thing extravagant that you just’re almost definitely solely going to put on as soon as? Borrowed Gems permits you to hire beautiful items for 3 to eight days for a fraction of what you’d normally spend, providing you with a way more inexpensive and sustainable possibility.

A Note on Brilliant Earth….

I initially listed Brilliant Earth on this submit, however have since found that they interact in misleading and fraudulent advertising practices, and even overcharge for mislabeled stones. I don’t advocate them. Read the complete story here.